Ranger
“I’ll get the one in the back. That’s one hobgoblin who’ll regret ever lifting a bow.” __NOEDITSECTION__ Description Rangers are watchful warriors who roam past the horizon to safeguard a region, a principle, or a way of life. Masters of bow and blade, rangers excel at hit-and-run assaults and can quickly and silently eliminate foes. Rangers lay superb ambushes and excel at avoiding danger. As a ranger, you possess almost supernaturally keen senses and a deep appreciation for untamed wilderness. With your knowledge of the natural world, you are able to track enemies through nearly any landscape, using the smallest clue to set your course, even sometimes the calls and songs of beasts and birds. Your severe demeanor promises a deadly conclusion to any enemy you hunt. When you catch sight of your quarry, will the transgressor perish by swift bow shots from a distance, or by the twofold blades that glint and glitter in each of your battle-scarred hands? Overview Characteristics: You combine fast, hard-hitting melee attack power with excellent ranged attack ability, and shift easily from melee to ranged combat. You are moderately resilient in battle, but you prefer hit-and-run attacks or ambushes to prolonged slugging matches. Hit hard, get out; that’s the ranger’s way. Religion: Rangers favor deities of nature and of the hunt. They often revere Kord, Melora, or the Raven Queen. Evil or chaotic evil rangers usually worship Gruumsh or Zehir. Races: Elves are ideal archer rangers. Humans, halflings, dragonborn, and eladrin are all sometimes drawn to the wandering life of a two-blade ranger. Creating a Rangers depend on Strength, Dexterity, and Wisdom for most of their powers. Constitution is also useful, since it helps them stand up to damage. The two ranger builds presented here are the archer ranger and the melee ranger. Archer Ranger You are a master of the bow (or, rarely, the crossbow, sling, or thrown weapon). You prefer ranged attack powers, and you resort to melee only when there are no good targets left for your arrows. Most of your attack powers use Dexterity, so Dexterity should be your highest ability score. You find yourself in melee from time to time, so Strength is a good choice for your second-highest score. Wisdom should be your thirdbest ability score. Choose powers that reflect your preference for ranged weapons. :Class Features: Archer Fighting Style, Prime Shot :Suggested Feat: Agile Hunter (Human feat: Human Perseverance) :Suggested Skills: Endurance, Heal, Nature, Perception, Stealth :Suggested At-Will Powers: careful attack, nimble strike :Suggested Encounter Power: evasive strike :Suggested Daily Power: split the tree Two-Blade Ranger You like to get up close and rely on the ranger’s famous two-weapon fighting style. Naturally, you prefer melee attack powers, and that means Strength should be your highest ability score. For your second ability, Dexterity is a good choice because it improves your AC. Make Wisdom your third choice, since it adds to your Will defense and provides a bonus to many of your powers. Choose powers that reflect your preference for fighting with two melee weapons. :Class Features: Two-Blade Fighting Style, Prime Shot :Suggested Feat: Lethal Hunter (Human feat: Action Surge) :Suggested Skills: Acrobatics, Dungeoneering, Endurance, Heal, Perception :Suggested At-Will Powers: hit and run, twin strike :Suggested Encounter Power: dire wolverine strike :Suggested Daily Power: jaws of the wolf Beastmaster Ranger A deadly hunter, you specialize in double-teaming your enemies with the aid of a beast companion. Your beast is an extension of you, and thereby it is an invaluable member of your group. No other is needed to help you flank your quarry. Melee combat with the aid of your beast is your focus, so you favor Strength. You count on Dexterity for your AC and occasional ranged attacks, so your secondary focus is on that ability score. Wisdom, your tertiary ability score, makes you better at the Perception skill and gives you an edge with many ranger powers. The Beast Mastery class feature is designed to complement this build. :Class Features: Beast Fighting Style :Suggested Feat: Lethal Hunter (Human feat: Improved Initiative) :Suggested Skills: Athletics, Heal, Nature, Perception, Stealth :Suggested At-Will Powers: circling strike, predator strike :Suggested Encounter Power: synchronized strike :Suggested Daily Power: partnered savaging Hunter Ranger Dexterity is your key ability score. You rely on Dexterity for your ranged attacks and some melee attack powers as well. After Dexterity, you should emphasize Wisdom], because you rely on intuition to help guide your attacks. For your tertiary ability score, you should favor Strength or Constitution. :Class Features: Hunter Fighting Style, Running Attack :Suggested Feat: Swift Footwork :Suggested Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Nature, Perception, Stealth :Suggested At-Will Powers: fading strike, twin strike :Suggested Encounter Power: skirmish shot :Suggested Daily Power: skirmishing stance Marauder Ranger Strength is your most important ability score. Your melee attacks and heavy thrown weapon attacks rely on it. Typically Wisdom should be your second highest ability score, because you depend on instinct and battle awareness. Dexterity and Constitution are both good choices for your tertiary ability score, depending on whether you prefer to dodge attacks or tough out the hits. :Class Features: Marauder Fighting Style, Running Attack :Suggested Feat: Manticore's Fury :Suggested Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Endurance, Nature, Perception :Suggested At-Will Powers: marauder's rush, throw and stab :Suggested Encounter Power: hurling charge :Suggested Daily Power: scything blow Class Features Your class features depend largely on the build and fighting style you choose. Fighting Style Choose one of the following fighting styles and gain its benefit. :Archer Fighting Style: Because of your focus on ranged attacks, you gain Defensive Mobility as a bonus feat. :Two-Blade Fighting Style: Because of your focus on two-weapon melee attacks, you can wield a one-handed weapon in your off hand as if it were an off-hand weapon. (Make sure to designate on your character sheet which weapon is main and which is offhand.) In addition, you gain Toughness as a bonus feat. :Beast Fighting Style: You gain a beast companion, chosen from one of these categories: bear, boar, cat, lizard, raptor, serpent, spider, or wolf. These categories do not describe specific animals, but rather groups of similarly themed creatures in the D&D world. You decide the creature’s relevant details— its species, physical details, and so forth—making sure they are appropriate for its category and the campaign. :Hunter Fighting Style: You gain Quick Draw as a bonus feat, even if you don't meet the prerequisites. In addition, you can sheathe a weapon as a free action and gain a +4 bonus to AC against opportunity attacks you provoke by making a ranged attack. :Marauder Fighting Style: You gain Two-Weapon Defense as a bonus feat, even if you don't meet the prerequisites. In addition, you gain a +l bonus to speed while you aren't using a shield or a two-handed weapon. Hunter's Quarry Once per turn as a minor action, you can designate the enemy nearest to you as your quarry. Once per round, you deal extra damage to your quarry. The extra damage is based on your level. If you can make multiple attacks in a round, you decide which attack to apply the extra damage to after all the attacks are rolled. The hunter’s quarry effect remains active until the end of the encounter, until the quarry is defeated, or until you designate a different target as your quarry. You can designate one enemy as your quarry at a time. Prime Shot If none of your allies are nearer to your target than you are, you receive a +1 bonus to ranged attack rolls against that target. Running Attack If you use a standard action that lets you move (such as a charge or the skirmish shot power), and you end that movement at least 2 squares away from where you began that move, you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls made as part of that standard action. Powers Your powers are bold exploits derived from your relentless training in archery and swordplay. At higher levels, you have access to special stance powers. Exploits Category:Class